Each NFL offseason, it has been the same deal for the past few years.  And I think most of us have turned a deaf ear to it by now.

Brett Favre goes through his seemingly annual ritual of seeing what media attention he can draw by stringing out his career plans.  Is he hanging up his cleats?  Is he playing one more season?  Is he going to try to stick it to the Packers this time?  He is indeed a big draw at the gate, and his appearance on a roster can edge it that much closer to respectability and a possible playoff birth.  But in the process, he has appeared selfish, inconsiderate and high-maintenance.  With a career as storied as his, he’s certainly just scratching an itch, right?  He just can’t let go of the game he loves, eh?

Well, I think there’s something more to it than that.  He seems desperate to achieve something, which at the surface would seem to be unnecessary.

Looking at his career, he is a man who has many accolades.  Here is just a sampling of them:

- 3-time AP NFL MVP

- 10-time Pro Bowl selection

- 1-time Super Bowl champion

- most career TD passes, pass completions and passing yards

Favre's latest stint with the Jets showed that he was up to his old tricks again.

From a statistical standpoint he has just about done it all.

But where does he register on the list of all-time great quarterbacks?  How about on the list of the best QBs of the past 30 years?

I’m not even going to attempt to tackle the first question…but let’s just think about the second one.

The quarterback position is the premier position within football.  These are the players that traditionally receive the majority of the glory for victories, as well as a significant portion of the blame in defeats.  Successful quarterbacks are successful game managers.  They know how to get the most out of every possession.  But a difference in philosophy exists between the truly great quarterbacks and Brett Favre. 

If it’s 3rd and 25 (of course depending on the nature of the situation), the game managing quarterback that has the ‘green light’ will probably take what the defense gives.  More than likely that means a 15-yard completion.  This will instill confidence in the other facets of your team – special teams and defense.  It’s a team approach to getting the job done.

Brett Favre has been, and seemingly will always be, a gambler.  It’s certainly no coincidence that he also holds the career mark for interceptions (310).  Favre is that quarterback who will always try to make a 30-yard play on 3rd and 25.  This is precisely how possessions are lost, and how defenses inherit bad game situations.

Because of his penchant for attempting risky passes, his game managing skills can only be considered mediocre at best.  This is the precise reason that he has not, and will not, be mentioned in the same breath as recent top-flight game changers like Joe Montana, Tom Brady and John Elway.

Each of these guys have a nack for knowing how to get the most out of their team.  They are consumate leaders who allow their teammates to add to the success of the organization.  Their actions clearly deomnstrate that they are not intimidated by the achievements of their peers, and they sacrifice personal accolades for the greater good of the team.  And as we have seen time and time again, the leading men end up receiving the lion’s share of the credit anyway.

The Gulfport, Mississippi native has not been able to be that type of leader throughout his career.  He has built his career on moments of unbelievable play – both good and bad.  With his reckless mentality, he continues to knock at the door of the fraternity of the sport’s greatest quarterbacks. 

Year by year, he chases legacies that exceed his grasp.  Greatness shouldn’t define why you play the game, but it should define how you play the game.  Favre needs to step back and be grateful for his 17 years of NFL accomplishments. 

As John Elway so elegantly put it:

A guy as great as Brett Favre has been for the length of time he’s been, you would hope that he would be able to leave the game with a positive flavor in his mouth.

Well, if Favre’s recent actions could be adequately described as a flavor, the description would be old, stale and tired.

T Lamont is the owner, administrator and author of all content for Ball or Nuthin\'. Feel free to contact T Lamont with a question or comment at ballornuthin@gmail.com.  All created Ball or Nuthin' content is the sole property of T Lamont. Read more from this author